Estate Dispute Lawyers

We have estate dispute lawyers in Toronto and Ottawa. At ClearWay Law, if our clients don’t want to pay hourly, we try and accommodate them. We can offer flat fee for some family law and estate dispute issues.

Some clients want to pay flat fees or contingency fees for estate disputes because they don’t like the “sky is the limit” possibility that can come with hourly rates. Also, they like that flat fee and contingency fees encourage the lawyer to get the best result as quickly as possible.

On the other hand, some clients prefer to pay hourly because they only want to pay for the work that gets done by the estate lawyer.

Neither one is right or wrong. It depends on the client.

If you need to book a meeting with one of our estate lawyers, please do one of the following:

Our current hourly rates:

Estate lawyers: $250.00-$495.00

Legal assistants: $125.00

Labour intensive tasks should be done by legal assistants and more junior estate lawyers to save you money.

If the matter is not a simple agreement that needs to be created, you will be asked to provide a retainer, which is often around $3000-5000. This is money that is held in a special trust account and will be applied to your final bill. Anything left over in trust would be returned to you.

For contingency fees there is no trust money required. You will only be asked to pay a flat fee disbursement to cover costs. Please note that contingency fees for family law are currently not allowed in Ontario. There are several groups that are trying to change that as they feel this reduces access to justice for low income persons.

Estate litigation can be messy. When a high net worth individual has become deceased it is not uncommon for people to make claim over assets. It may be required to hire an estate litigation lawyer to either defend the will or to help you make a claim against the will.

Defending the Will

If you are listed as a recipient of assets under the will of the deceased and someone has challenged the will, you will need to respond.

Making an Estate Claim

If you feel you have unfairly been left out of a will or the person who wrote the will was not mentally sane at the time of writing the will, we can help you make a claim.

Frequently asked Questions

What is your family and divorce lawyer fee structure?

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What are the divorce procedures in my province?

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Can we flat fee each part of the divorce process?

It may be possible to flat fee each event that happens in the divorce process.

Our family law firm often gets asked if it is required to have a lawyer for the divorce. We always suggest at minimum booking a consultation with a family lawyer before signing divorce papers.

Even though it is possible to sign divorce papers without a lawyer, it is important that both parties understand their rights and obligations. Also sometimes if a party didn’t get legal advice before signing, they can later challenge the validly of the divorce agreement.

There are three different ways to book a consultation with our estate dispute lawyers:

There are rare circumstances where the person who wrote the will was tricked by a con-person into writing them into the will. If this is the case, please reach out to us right away. Police might get involved to investigate potential fraud.

Estate Dispute Lawyers

It is often a great first step to get everyone together in the same room for a mediation. Often there is a lot of miscommunication and stress around estate issues. Our estate lawyers will encourage everyone to listen to each other and to treat each other with respect.

At the same time it is the job of our estate lawyers to make sure you feel empowered throughout the estate litigation process. You have rights that need to be upheld and protected.

It is also the job of our lawyers to make sure you understand the litigation process. We take complex legal jargon and present the information to our clients in a way that is easy for our clients to understand.

Monthly detailed accounts

If you are paying under an hourly rate plan instead of a flat fee or contingency fee you will receive a detailed account at the end of the month. This will explain in detail the work that has been done on your file and how many hours each estate lawyer and law clerk worked on your file. You will have a chance to go over your account with your lawyer if you have any questions. You will never receive a bill for more than the retainer you provided.

If things change with your case and it becomes more complicated a larger retainer may be required.

Chantalle Sawision, Family Law Lawyer

Ms. Sawision practices in the area of Family Law, specifically dealing with child custody and access issues, child and spousal support issues and the negotiation and litigation of financial issues. A skilled negotiator and advocate, Ms. Sawision has helped numerous clients reach satisfying settlements and successfully argued on behalf of her clients on a variety of family law issues.

In addition to her role as an advocate, Ms. Sawision is also experienced in Alternative Dispute Resolution and has assisted parties in reaching fair and reasonable settlements in an amicable and cost-effective manner.

Ms. Sawision graduated from Bond University with a Juris Doctor (J.D.), Law and will work day and night to surpass your expectations and provide an experience that is not merely transactional, but transformational. Her main priority is to be your partner through legal disputes, not just your legal counsel. She will work with you to create a strategic, results-focused path to help achieve the best outcome.

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DisclaimerAll images, videos and graphics used on this website are dramatizations. Unless otherwise indicated, individuals on this site are not lawyers. You are not a client and an lawyer-client relationship is not created until a formal retainer agreement has been signed. Every case is different and prior results or cases are not a guarantee or prediction with regard to your case. The website does not provide any kind of advice, explanation, opinion or recommendation about possible legal rights, remedies, defenses, options or strategies. Your access to the website is subject to our Terms of Use.

We understand that many people call us for consult on a variety of legal matters. We may not be able to handle all types of cases due to expertise or other various reasons. We will only, with your verbal consent, refer you to another lawyer or paralegal in good standing with the law society who may be better equipped to handle your claim. It is your decision whether or not you choose to go ahead with that representative. Referral fees for some may or may not be attached and will have no effect or bearing on your claim.

‘ClearWay Law’ is the trade name of Devinder Brar Professional Corporation—a company incorporated under the laws of Alberta. Devinder Brar Professional Corporation is licenced to provide legal services in Alberta.

Devinder Brar Professional Corporation is owned and controlled by Devinder Brar. Devinder is a lawyer, likely soon to be judge, licensed to practice law in Alberta. The organization, ownership, and control of Devinder Brar Professional Corporation is in compliance with Alberta law society rules and other provincial law society rules.

Devinder Brar Professional Corporation provides legal services through lawyers who are appropriately licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, British Columbia or Alberta. These lawyers provide their services under service agreements with Devinder Brar Professional Corporation which are typical in legal practices across the country. These agreements set out basic practice and compensation expectations. They are subject to the laws, rules, and guidelines established by the various law societies.

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